Class-V examinations postponed
Islamabad, Feb 18: The centralised examinations for class five, scheduled to start on February 19, were postponed till further orders in the wake of complete strike being observed by teachers working under the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE).

According to well-placed sources in the Ministry of Education, the negotiations between teachers and officials of the Ministry of Education continued till late at night but could not reach any conclusion as the teachers were determined to continue their strike till the approval of their demands.

Insiders said that the Ministry of Education officials tried their level best to convince teachers to call off their strike but failed. “The officials were of the opinion that they have sent a summary regarding upgradation of teachers to the Ministry of Finance and its response was awaited. They said that as soon as the summary gets approved from the Finance Division, the package for teachers would be implemented in no time,” they said.

On the other hand, teachers believe that the Ministry of Education is not sincere in their upgradation. “We have our sources in the Ministry of Education through which we learnt that no such summary has been moved so far,” said a teacher requesting anonymity.

“The centralised examinations for class fifth, which were scheduled to start on February 19, have been postponed as teachers were boycotting classes and other activities,” said a high-level official of the Ministry of Education.

The teachers of many as 388 educational institutions under the FDE have been observing complete strike by not taking their classes, examinations (both internal and external) and any kind of duty assigned.

The teacher of all cadres peacefully staged a sit-in on the premises of their respective schools. They displayed protest banners at the main gates of their academic institutions and wore black armbands.

Students were asked by their teachers to enjoy free time in playgrounds. “The intensity of our boycott will increase with each passing day. Students will also join us in a couple of days,” said an office-bearer of the Federal Government Teachers Association (FGTA).

FGTA President Azhar Mahmood Awan, addressing on the occasion, said that the ongoing strike of teachers was not against any person or institution. “It is aimed at making the current leadership of the country to realise that the prevailing education system in the ICT is based on disparity and discrimination,” he said.

He said that the FGTA wanted substantial and comprehensive structural changes in the education system. “For this, uniform nomenclature of all institutions and uniform service structure for all teachers of all cadres have become a clarion call of all teachers, students and parents as well,” he added.

The teachers, on the occasion, distributed their charter of demands that included issuance of notification regarding uniformity of education system in ICT so that it can be implemented in letter and spirit as per the announcement made by the Prime Minister, issuance of notification regarding up-gradation of teachers, residential ceiling with pay to all employees under FDE Islamabad and immediate issuance of supplementary grant for hiring, immediate provision of transport facility to remote areas/federal area, immediate regularisation of all sacked teachers, contractual teachers, teachers on deputation, computer teachers and English teachers, hardship allowance to all FDE employees working at hard stations.

Ministry of Education Additional Secretary Shaigan Shareef Malik said that the ministry was strongly committed to the implementation of the package for teachers in letter and spirit. “We are continuously in the process of negotiations with teachers,” he added. The news